Richard II

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Richard II is a historical play written by William Shakespeare in 1597. It is being presented at the Orlando Shakes through April 28, 2019. Richard II (Ryan Farley) was an arrogant, narcissistic and bumbling king. He surrounded himself with sycophants who fed off his good fortune and did his bidding. By brashly putting his own vanity before the needs of his kingdom, he
created the perfect opening for Bolingbroke (Amy Hutchins) to seize the throne.

His true self was stripped bare when he had to surrender the crown. When he took the crown off his head and handed it to his foe, he couldn’t bring himself to let go. He cried and ranted like a spoiled child extending his monologue as long as possible to avoid his ultimate surrender. At one point he stood in a spotlight high above his throne, with the crown above his head. As he lowered his arms, Bolingbroke stepped in front of him to allow him to place the crown on her head. Richard turned, hopped down and continued his monologue.

The Shakes production his set in modern times with a gender equal cast. To help the audience with the casting, they would often announce their name and title as they walked onto the stage. The set by Ruthmarie Tenorio, resembled a royal garden and the golden rings floating above stage of course represented the crown. At one point one giant ring floated down to surround the jailed King Richard further confining him. “I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.” Mirrored boxes were repositioned in each scene to break up the space and to remind the audience of the kings vanity.

I have to give a shout out to the costume designer (Denise R. Warner) who made Bolingboke look regal and refined in every scene. In equal measure she made the royal court look like spoiled dandies and the common folk like mid-western farmers.

The language in the play was delicious. It is some of the most engaging prose I have heard from Shakespeare and the modern twist made it clear that out modern rulers are not that different from the rulers of the past, though they might be less eloquent. For the final act I put the sketch away and just let the prose wash over me. Every character had clear motivation and the story flowed unhindered to its inevitable conclusion. I absolutely adored this production.

These are the remaining show dates. Don’t miss Richard II!

Saturday, April 20, 2019- 7:30 PM

Sunday, April 21, 2019 – 2:00 PM

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 – 2:00 PM

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 – 7:30 PM

Thursday, April 25, 2019 – 7:30 PM

Friday, April 26, 2019 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, April 27, 2019 – 2:00 PM

Saturday, April 27, 2019 – 7:30 PM

Sunday, April 28, 2019 – 2:00 PM

Weekend Top 6 Picks for April 20 and 21, 2019

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Saturday April 20, 2019

9am to 5pm Free. Earthfest 2019.  Renningers Mount Dora Flea Market and Antique Center 20651 US Highway 441, Mount Dora, Florida 32757. ART ARMY Mt. Dora. is hosting a Big Art festival to introduce the newest
addition to Rennigers Flea Market. Its very own Art Village; that
showcases more than a dozens of artist’s regularly. And what better way to do all that then by celebrating our blessed mother Earth. We will be giving tours of our very own earth made
dwellings on site. Meet the earth man himself Sean Micheal Flynn. 5
alive artists doing live art, Jim Preston, Bryan Abbey, Color Me Crazy –
Leona’s Art. Live music by Glofish Music, Southern Classic, Adam
Engelson and others. LIVE art performances throughout the day. 100
vendors, artists ,Performing Arts. Crafters, Body painting and healing
arts. Plus food vendors!!!

10am to 6pm Free.  Central Florida Earth Day 2019! Lake Eola Park, 512 E Washington St, Orlando, FL 32801. Central Florida Earth Day is back–bigger and better than ever! It will
be held on Saturday, April 20, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at
beautiful Lake Eola Park in Orlando. Please join us at the largest and
most prestigious Earth Day event in Central Florida.

The event
will include healthy living and eco-friendly exhibitors, speakers, and
presentations; non-profits; fun and games for kids; dog and cat
adoptions; restaurant booths; environmental and humane education; artist
and craft corners; and live music and entertainment. Central Florida
Earth Day will draw both committed environmentalists and those who want
to learn more about how to protect our health, the planet, and its
inhabitants. You can promote your business or group to thousands of
people who want to learn more about environmentalism and the varied
products and services that support an eco-friendly and a veg-friendly
way of life. All money raised will be used for local environmental
education and outreach.

For more information, visit www.CFEarthDay.org.
This website will be continually updated as additional sponsors,
vendors, restaurants, speakers, musicians, etc. are added. Please check
back often for all the exciting changes! If you are interested in being a
vendor, please go the Vendor Packet page. If you are interested in
being a volunteer, please go to the Volunteer page.

Please also join us for other Earth Week activities to be announced. See you at Central Florida Earth Day 2019!

4pm to 6pm Cos-Play Figure Drawing. Elite Animation Academy  8933 Conroy Windermere Rd, Orlando, FL 32835. Five minute poses with a few longer poses mixed in for loose gestural sketching. Thomas Thorspecken is the instructor.

Sunday April 21, 2019

1pm to 4pm Public Open House Chalk Walk Winter Park Paint Out Polasek. 633 Osceola Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789. Winter Park Paint out artists drop off their first painting in the gallery. The Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens will be hosting their eleventh annual Winter Park Paint Out from April 21 to 27, 2019.

The Winter Park Paint Out officially starts with this Easter Sunday open
house where festival artists will paint in the picturesque sculpture
gardens. Artist Cory Wright will lead registered teams in the Student
Chalk Walk competition by creating a chalk design on one of the garden’s
sidewalk squares and then giving participants two hours to create their
own designs. All K-12 students are invited to register in teams for the
competition by e-mailing rfrisby@polasek.org.
Complimentary art activities for all ages will be available in the
gardens throughout the afternoon as well as a free lakeside performance
by the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras. Visitors are encouraged to
bring blankets and chairs; limited seating will be provided.  The gallery and sculpture gardens will be free to the public during
the week-long event which will feature twenty-five professional plein air artists
will paint at the Polasek Museum and locations nearby with art lovers
invited to watch the artists at work, view their recently completed
paintings in the gallery and attend free painting demonstrations.

Artwork created during the Winter Park Paint Out will be available
for purchase with a portion of the proceeds going to support the museum.
All artwork may also be viewed online as it is created at winterparkpaintout.org.

5pm to 12am No Cover. “It Is Here”. ICEBAR Orlando, 8967 United States, 8967 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819. Fans of the hit fantasy drama television series “Game of Thrones” are in
for an icy treat as world-famous Icebar Orlando announces its
month-long celebration “It Is Here” to commemorate the series finale.
From Saturday, April 13 until Saturday, May 18, guests of the coolest
bar in Orlando can take the throne within Fire Lounge with no cover
Sunday through Friday and enjoy the bar and dance floor, or cross over
the wall and join Night’s Watch inside of Icebar featuring
specially-themed Game of Thrones cocktails available on a secret menu.
Guests will receive a souvenir digital picture, take in live ice
carvings every Saturday starting at 7pm and entertainment by special
guest DJs. Icebar will also host Game of Thrones trivia Sunday through
Thursday from 5pm-9pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 5pm-7pm. Trivia
participants who get five or more answers correct will receive half-off a
drink and be entered to win a $1,000 VIP experience. No tickets are
required for “It Is Here”. The “Small Counsel VIP Package” with bottle
service, appetizers, desserts and faux fur coat upgrades is available
for $350 (five people).

8pm to 11pm $5 Donation.  Folk Night with The 502s, Beemo, Jordan Foley and the Wheelhouse. The Falcon Bar and Gallery 819 E Washington St, Orlando, Florida 32801.

The 502s

www.the502s.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH9P25k3yF8

The
502s are a raucous indie folk group formed by three cousins from
Central Florida. Since 2015 The 502s have taken their swaggering blend
of Americana across the coast including Okeechobee Music Festival and
Communion Records’ NYC showcase. Their album is a heartfelt invitation
to good old-fashioned fun, and their Facebook video for lead single
“What To Do” has garnered over 600,000 views on Facebook. Enjoy the
ride!

Beemo

https://www.mynameisbeemo.com/

Beemo
is an acoustic Americana band with mountain music roots from Orlando,
Fl. Their sound is a blend of indie-rock, Irish folk, bluegrass, and
elements of the singer/songwriter genre, drawing inspiration from REM,
Johnny Cash, Nickel Creek, and Ray LaMontagne. In 2018 Beemo released
their first full-length album Bustin’ Out, and were named Best Folk Band
by Orlando Weekly!

Jordan Foley and the Wheelhouse

jordanfoleymusic.com

“He’s
got a sound and voice that’s effectively situated between a little
twang and a lot of soul. He doesn’t try too hard because he doesn’t need
to. Confident in the pocket and the natural power of his expression,
Foley’s probably one of the more finished and articulated young examples
to emerge in the local Americana scene lately.” – Orlando Weekly

Salisbury House and Gardens

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The Salisbury House and Gardens (4025 Tonawanda Drive Des Moines, Iowa 50312) depends on volunteers for it’s survival. A volunteer sat patiently at the entrance waiting to guide the next guests around the historic property as I sketched the Great Hall.

Only a few rooms on each floor are available to tour. The first floor
rooms included the Great Hall, the Common Room and the Library. 

Unfortunately the museum’s historian and curator was let go in order to save money which means the preservation and care of the collection is in danger. She was let go shortly after questioning the management by the executive director to the board.  The historic home is not on a sustainable financial path. Nine people have been let go for lack of revenue or
have quit because of an increasingly toxic environment. Today, the nonprofit has no curator, no volunteer
coordinator, no full-time accountant and no marketing director, the
former employees said. The historic home has had a long history of financial difficulties.

Carl Weeks, founded a multi million dollar cosmetics empire in Iowa. On a trip to Salisbury England Carl and his wife Edith found the Kings house which became the model for the new home they wanted to build in America.  Construction began in 1923 and took five years to complete. The cost was estimated at three million dollars. Art from around the world was collected by the couple. Most impressive was the library which contains 35,000 rare books.

The family moved into their new home just before the market crash of 1929. The house became too expensive to maintain. To survive they leased the home to Drake University with the stipulation that they could stay as tenants in the home until their youngest son graduated college. Eventually the home was purchased by the Iowa State Education Association for $200,000. The Weeks family moved into a much smaller home.

The Salisbury House Foundation was founded in 1993, to preserve and share the property for the cultural and educational benefit of the public. They began operating it as a historic house museum. Hopefully they are up to the task of preserving the home. But it seems there are bigger problems on the horizon due to mismanagement. Historic house museums have been closing and selling off collections around the country. The executive director admitted that the Salisbury is suffering financially. Revenue has dropped more than 40 percent in recent years, according
to IRS records. It’s serious enough that leaders are considering selling
part of the home’s vast collection. The increasingly skeletal staff seems unable to keep the place afloat. The home is struggling and depends on the generosity of supporters to sustain its existence. The future is very uncertain.

El Wiz

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UCF Celebrates the Arts presented El Wiz as a staged reading at The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Based on a book by Paul Castañeda, the show was  originally conceived by Juan Cantu and Paul Castañeda. Paul sat house right reading stage directions for the staged reading.

The show was based on the Wizard of Oz but set in Puerto Rico just before Hurricane Maria hit the island. The Narrator, (Josh Ceballos) introduced the familiar cast of characters on the island. Chico, the scarecrow (Emile Doles) was a quiet and socially awkward man who had an eye for details no one else would notice.  Juanito, the tin man (Eric Parafan) had loved a man but had his heart broken. He felt he could never love again. Eddie, the lion, (Joe Llorens) just wanted some cajones. Dorothy (Crystal Lizardo) fell into a deep sleep before the hurricane hit. She woke or so she thought in a strange new place.

In this new world she was given a very blingy pair of Nike sneakers with red white and blue sequins. Her dog Toto was a puppet who came alive when she held him in her arms. From the start she wanted to return home to her Mami and Papi but she was instructed to go to the Emerald city for advice on how to get back home. The journey was fraught with dangers.

For me the most powerful number in the show was Vas A Ver, or You’ll See in  English. Sung by Esperanza, (Paul Padilla) the song was about how the strength of family can overcome any hardship. He performed with just the right amount of resolve and throaty growl. His face grew so red as he sang that I was concerned he might burst a blood vessel. It was an amazing performance.

The joy of this show is that it takes itself lightly. There were many references to  Lin Manuel Miranda since the playwrights clearly were inspired by his musicals. The plot moved effortlessly and the actors playfully joked and teased one another. I have only studied Spanish in a cursory fashion on Duolingo, but I was able to follow every bit of the show.

When Dorothy finally got back to her home island it has been destroyed. She took the lessons learned in her dreams to gain strength in the belief that family can endure any difficulty. The cast and creative team deserved a standing ovation.

Notre Dame Burns

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2 of 5 Prints SOLD

In 2012 I visited Paris and had the opportunity to spend several hours sketching Notre Dame Cathedral from the banks of the Seine. I was following in the footsteps of Ronald Searle who creating an amazing series of sketches of the city in the 1950s. I tracked down the same locations he sketched and sketched the scenes myself. The styles of the cars had changed but otherwise history had stood still. With his sketch in hand I walked the banks of the river until I found the same view.

It was a quiet sunny day with locals and tourists checking their phones and shooting photos. I was humbled by the buildings immensity. I felt I was in the true heart of the city. I was in the exact same place one of my favorite artists had created about 50 years before. Construction on the cathedral was begun in 1160 and largely completed by 1260, though it was modified frequently in the following centuries. In 1858 some of the statues were damaged by Huguenots who considered them idolatrous. In 1793 after the French Revolution many of the art treasures were destroyed or plundered. 28 statues of biblical  kings were beheaded being mistaken for French kings.The cathedral became battered and ruined from neglect but Victor Hugo‘s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame written in 1831,  brought a new interest to the structure. During the liberation of Paris in 1944 the building experienced some damage due to stray bullets. In 2016 there was a failed cathedral bombing attempt, and in 2017 four people were arrested on charged that they planned to travel to Paris and attack the cathedral.

None of these damages over the centuries compared to the horrible fire that engulfed the building starting about 6:50pm on April 15, 2019. It is believed it was caused by construction workers who were renovating the building. The fire possibly began in the bell tower. The fire caused the collapse of the spire and the roof. A small statue of a rooster on the top of the spire contained relics including a tiny piece of the crown of thorns which was acquired in 1239.

There is a water reservoir, covered with a lead roof, that is located between the two
towers, behind the colonnade and the gallery and in front of the nave. It was designed to quickly extinguish a fire.  Many of the statues, including statues of the twelve apostles, were removed just last week to allow for construction, so that is some good news. A bucket brigade of people also passes relics to safety as the roof burned. Firefighters have saved the cathedral from total destruction. There are no confirmed deaths. The fire is being treated as an accident.

As news of the fire blazed into my studio via social media, I immediately started to alter the sketch I had created in 2012. I painted the fire and smoke darkened the scene. Seeing the cathedral towers on the western facade engulfed in smoke of course brought back memories of September 11 when the twin towers collapsed in New York City. Thankfully the firefighters saved the twin towers on Notre Dames Western facade. The interior was blackened yet a golden cross remained suspended above the damage. The full extent of the damage is being assessed.  The phoenix must now rise from the ashes.

Saint Amands Key

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Pam Schwartz and I traveled down to Lido Key on the west coast of Florida near Sarasota. Saint Amands Key is the ritzy shopping district and we were going to meet a travel reported who was writing about Florida travel for her mid-Western paper. While Pam explored for a bit I sketched in the center of town where these Greek statues were arranges in a circle. A man in a bright yellow shirt sat reading the newspaper while smoking a cigar.

Property on the island was originally purchased by Charles St. Amand in
1893, who used it for fishing in the gulf and the bay. The name of the
island, St. Armands Key, was based on a misspelling of his name. Years
later, the circus magnate John Ringling bought land on the island to
build a large residential development. His plan was to build a shopping center around a circle in the middle of the town. Due to the intervening Florida land crash, the Depression, and World War II, it wasn’t until the fifties
that the area really began to take off. 

Many of the
statues date back to the twenties reflecting John Ringling’s belief in
bringing art and culture to the city of Sarasota. His travels to the Renaissance cities of Italy inspired this vision. The
classical sculpture he saw combined the realistic portrayal of
individual beauty and the humanistic aspects of localized beauty.
Sculpture was a key component of his vision as he began marketing lots
on St Armonds Key in 1927.

One of the statues in my sketch, standing in front of a beach shop at the corner of John Ringling Boulevard and St. Armands Circle is, Asclepius, the god of medicine and one of the seven virtues. Allegory of Sarasota, Its Seven Virtues was conceived and designed by Edward Pinto and was dedicated on Feb 2, 2008. Also in my sketch is Music, created by Ewald Judt. This statue  represents the performing arts.

The Save Our Statues (SOS) project’s goal has the goal of preserving the
statues John Ringling purchased. Twenty-one new statues
were added in 2007 to enhance his legacy. Today, St. Armands Circle is a
hub of activity for the island that is otherwise filled with mostly posh
residences. The beach, sitting on Lido Key, on the Gulf of Mexico is
only a few blocks away.

The Orlando Fringe Sketchbooks

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The Orlando Fringe Sketchbook Abridged documents 10 years of the Orlando Fringe in sketches. The project began in 2009 and today, 10 years later, the sketching continues. Above is a sample of the first 10 pages of the book.

This abridged Fringe Sketchbook is 110 pages with over 200 sketches. The book is going to press now and will be available at the 2019 Orlando Fringe Festival. Each year has a few paragraphs highlighting my favorite shows of the year. The goal has been to assemble every sketch done at Fringe shows over the past 10 years at an affordable price.

The books will sell for about $25 at the Orlando Fringe. If you would like to pre-order a book contact pam-schwartz@hotmail.com. If you pre-order we will arrange to give you the book when you arrive at the Fringe Festival. If there is enough interest we will print more books. We can take orders via pay pal, checks, or of course, cash. As an added bonus, prints and original Fringe paintings, are being offered at half price. $100 per print, and $200 for an original. Should you want me to frame the art I can arrange that for $100 more. If you order one or the other you get an Orlando Fringe Abridged book thrown in for free.

Below is a 10 page sample of the much larger 249 page book that has all the original articles written for Analog Artist Digital World.

This coffee table book is still in the works and of course will be more expensive that the abridged book now going to press. This Deluxe Edition Orlando Fringe Sketchbook will be available by print on demand. If you are interested in this unabridged edition of the Orlando Fringe Sketchbook, please, contact pam-schwartz@hotmail.com so we can keep you  in the loop when it goes to press.

Striking the Set

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After Man of La Mancha closed at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, I went in to sketch as the set was struck to make way for the next show. La Mancha was a theater in the round so bleachers had been set up where the back of the stage usually would have been. Subtlety isn’t needed when striking a set, things get hammered banged and kicked in any way to break things down. As I sketched, the set disappeared. The set had a circular central platform that turned and a trap door.

A drill would remove screws and a hammer might bang out nails, but safety was always the first concern. Stage hands looked out for each other assisting each other as needed. I enjoyed sketching the progress. According to Ivan Klima, “To destroy is easier than to create.” Yet these folks seemed to be working mighty hard while I was sitting and just scratching the page with a pen.

Now through April 28, Richard the II by William Shakespeare is at the Shakes. Tickets are $25 to $32. Convinced of his divine right to rule, King Richard II never expected
to be undone by his own maladroit mortal wrongs. By brashly putting his
own vanity before the needs of his kingdom, he creates the perfect
opening for Henry Bolingbroke to seize the throne. Shakespeare’s deeply
moving and insightful retelling reveals how one man’s bumbling mistakes
can shape a nation’s political landscape and change the course of
history.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for April 13 and 14, 2019

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Saturday April 13, 2019

6pm to 9pm Free. Imaginarium: Natura Art Reception. Chapman Leonard Studios And Production Center Orlando, Florida 9460 Delegates Dr, Orlando, Florida 32837.

This Art Reception is a family friendly event that is free and open to
the public, and there will be light refreshments. The artists on display
are Bridget Hanley Cohen, Heidi Vance, Tatjana Andre, Richard Bond,
Stephanie Muse, Kerry Harripersad, Eileen A Art, Mark Hadley, Charlie
Charen, Leyna McGrath, Leona Gold, Maryse Jupillat, Dan Meneely, Violeta
Militaru, Richard Guerriero, Teresa Touhey, and Bethany Piotrowski.

In
honor of Earth Day the Arts Hub Organization and Chapman/Leonard
Studios brings you the next installment of Imaginarium, “Natura”. With
beautiful works of art depicting the majesty that is nature, it is a
show not to miss. “Without nature we would not exist, nothing we have or
place value on would exist. It should be respected.” states Jason Lee,
the curator of the space. The artists in this show are a mixture of
established and emerging individuals that are a vital part of the
eclectically talented Central Florida arts community.

The art will be on display February 2nd through May 4th, 2019.

The
local artists’ works may also be viewed during normal business hours,
9am-5pm, by appointment with an Arts Hub Org. representative.

Chapman/Leonard
Studios is an award winning manufacturer of camera support equipment
for motion picture and television productions worldwide. The equipment
manufacturer is based out of their state of the art sound stages and
production facilities.

7pm to 11pm Free. All Things Music Art Show. Kaleidoscope Venue For The Arts 1991 Corporate Square #181, Longwood, Florida 32750. An art show featuring Music related and inspired art. Beer, wine, sodas, and water available at the show for donation. Contributing artists’ drinks are complimentary.

10:30pm to 11:30pm Free but get food and drink. Son Flamenco. Ceviche Tapas Orlando, 125 W Church St, Orlando, FL. Hot blooded Flamenco dancing to acoustic guitar.



Sunday April 14, 2019

11:00am to 1:30pm Free. Conway Community Market and Urban Sketching Demo. Barber Park 3701 Gatlin Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32812. Urban Sketchers Orlando is hosting a FREE sketching demo at the Conway
Community Market! If you are new to urban sketching, this is for you!
Experienced sketchers will share advice on how to focus on small stories
from observation and demonstrate the art of making an urban sketch on
location. Clipboards, paper, pencils, and coloring supplies will be
provided for those who would like to sketch along with us and the
session will include a QandA.

We also invite our fellow
sketchers of Central Florida to join us on a sketch walk of the market
and Palm Sunday/Early Easter celebration. The Conway Community Market
brings people together for a fun afternoon outside with the
opportunities to offer new experiences. The event will include the
Easter Bunny, a photographer and an Easter Egg Hunt! There will be
plenty of festive stories and moments to capture into our sketchbooks.

Meet Up Point: At the covered pavilion near the pond and the market. where the Urban Sketching Demo begins at 11:00 am.

1pm to 4:30pm Free. Family Day. The Mennello Museum of American Art, 900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, FL 32803. The make-and-take craft table is open from noon-2:30 p.m., and docents
are available to give mini-tours of the museum. Then it’s open house in
the galleries until 4:30 p.m.

2pm to 4pm  UCF Opera presents The Tender Land An opera by Aaron Copland. Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts 445 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, FL 32801. Generously supported by Ronald Thow and Carolyn V. Thow

In the
American heartland during the Great Depression, the provincial existence
of a rural farming family hinges upon the high school graduation of the
eldest daughter, Laurie Moss. However, on the eve of her graduation,
Laurie finds herself questioning her place in the world and wondering
what kind of life she could lead if she were to leave the farm. Her
restlessness is fueled by two drifters, Top and Martin, who are hired to
help with the harvest.

While Ma and Grandpa Moss are suspicious
of the strangers, Laurie is captivated by their vivid tales of travel,
and she and Martin quickly fall in love, culminating in a tender kiss at
Laurie’s graduation party. Grandpa Moss, furious, banishes the two men,
leading Martin and Laurie to make plans to elope, but Martin quickly
realizes that this would cause trouble for all involved, and reluctantly
sneaks away before daybreak. Heartbroken, Laurie realizes that, though
now alone, it is still time for her to go. She bids farewell to the farm
and sets off into the unknown, leaving her weeping family to completely
reassess their hopes, dreams, and plans for the future.

A vivid
portrait of the rural mid-west, The Tender Land is painted richly with
Copland’s quintessentially American harmonies and tells a beautiful and
simple story of a young woman’s coming of age.

Sung in English with super titles.

Game Night

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Driving home from my mural unveiling at Ivanhoe Park Brewery, Pam and I noticed a young woman biking across Mills Avenue in the light rain. She looked familiar, in fact, she was a friend of Pam’s named Gabby. Pam pulled her truck over on the next block and shouted out her window to Gabby, “Do you need a lift?” Of course Gabby probably considered this an offer from a creep, but when she recognized Pam she was pleased. Gabby and Brent had just purchased a bungalow and she advised us to follow her to check it out.

The blue bungalow was indeed adorable in a nice quiet neighborhood. The front lawn was filled with native plants rather than a lawn. The home had a a front porch and a sizable back yard for their dog Zoe. We got a quick tour of the place and then Gabby and Pam decided to set up a date for a game night.

Gabby and Brent take care of Pam’s dog Sprout any time we are traveling and we do the same for their dog Zoe. Pam and I picked up a foster puppy named Darcy and she is an unpredictable kraken of a beast. When Pam and I took care of Zoe, fights tended to break out between the three dogs. Zoe and Darcy would play rough having a ball, and then Sprout would break in snarling because he was protective of his girl Darcy.

Game night the dogs ran around the back yard with Darcy and Zoe playing rough while Sprout relaxed. They burned off plenty of excess energy. I sketched the first game which involved making up stories about horrible turn of  events. Gabby’s brother showed up as the rules were being explained and he joined in reluctantly. Game play was constantly interrupted by bouts of over zealous dog play. Gabby’s brother had to leave once the first game was over.

I wanted to play Settlers of Catan, so the sketch was done when that game came out. Settlers involves gathering resources to  build roads and settlements. The player who builds the largest settlement wins. It was a fun game involving plenty of bartering for needed resources. The game stretched late into the night with four large settlements spreading across the board.

War broke out. The war wasn’t on the game board but among the beasts. Zoe enjoyed playing but grew tired of Darcy’s incessant nudging and barking. “Darcy NO!” was shouted so often that you would think her name was Darcino. Several snarling brawls had to be broken up. Brent did a good job of separating the beasts by shuffling them apart with his legs. Pam did the same on a second occasion. Darcy the puppy was clearly to blame. She doesn’t know when to slow down. Gabby and Brent had considered getting a puppy but that foster didn’t work out. Zoe loves playing with people more than other dogs. She kept bringing me a toy while I was trying to sketch. When Zoe was put in the back  room, Darcy began nipping at Sprout, who just wanted to rest on the couch. I finally decided to leash Darcy to my chair limiting her movements. With other dogs to bite and bark at she soon stretched out on the floor and there was peace. She needed the rest. The next day she was going to be “fixed” at the vet.